The Pocket Orchestra
The Pocket Orchestra is a play written by Graeme Garden, with the music scored by Callum McLeod. It ran in London at Trafalgar Studios 2 from 26 April 2006 until 20 May 2006. The idea was devised by Callum McLeod after putting together a concert of his father's favourite pieces of classical music arranged for small groups of musicians.[1] The director was Richard Williams, the designer David Collis and the lighting designer David Horn.
Subtitled "The Unlikely Lives of the Great Composers", it is a 90-minute history of classical music told through the lives of the great composers. Twenty-six composers are featured on stage during the course of the show, which features live performances from a cast of six actor/musicians who were Sebastian Bates, Emma Correlle, Karen Fisher-Pollard, Ella Smith, Paul Arden-Griffiths, Ian Harris and additionally has former Doctor Who star Sylvester McCoy as the host (or Showman) who guides the audience through the performance. Features of the show included singing a laundry list to "Largo al Factotum" from The Barber of Seville, a short snippet of John Cage's 4′33″ and Sylvester McCoy playing the Spoons.
References
- Interview by Sean Rafferty on BBC Radio 3's In Tune, 19 April 2006.